Everything in Sinners has a twin.
The protagonists, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), are twin brothers. While the characters may not resemble Cain and Abel in spirit, their fates are similar; one brother dies and the other is cursed to be “a restless wanderer on the earth” (Gen 4:12).
The musical numbers have “twins” as well. In a standout sequence midway through Sinners, Sammy (Miles Caton) sings “I Lied to You,” summoning spirits from the past, present, and future in a unified dance that feels reminiscent of Revelation’s promise of “every nation, tribe, people and language” joining in worship. The vampire Remmick (Jack O’Connell) preaches a similar, though twisted, communion of saints, promising others “We will [fellowship] together, forever.” In a showstopping rendition of “Rocky Road to Dublin,” Remmick and all of the newly turned vampires dance in a circle and sing as one, a dark mirror to Sammy’s earlier communal performance.
But there’s a brief, special moment following the credits that ties together this theologically rich film about temptation, cultural and religious appropriation, and, of course, vampires. In the scene, Sammy sits in an empty church and sings his own unique arrangement of “This Little Light of Mine.” Throughout the film, he grapples with the choice imposed by his father: singing the blues or embracing religion. Much like all of the film’s “twin” parallels, this choice represents a duality within Sammy.
Earlier, during “I Lied to You,” he sings, “I’m full of the blues, holy water too,” acknowledging the dichotomy within himself. And near the film’s end, Sammy rejects his father’s command to stay in church and drop the guitar, seemingly denouncing faith to pursue the blues. But this post-credits sequence implies Sammy has at last embraced Christianity and the blues, realizing that both live inside of him. He doesn’t have to reject one to love the other.
The song choice itself (“This Little Light of Mine”) also carries significance. The duality of light and darkness plays a large role in Sinners, from the use of vampires as antagonists (who come out at night and burn in sunlight) to the use of light and shadows in the film’s rich cinematography. In what can only be described as the antithesis to “This Little Light of Mine,” the characters sing “Pale, Pale Moon” during the peak of the night’s debauchery, featuring lyrics such as “I don’t care if sun don’t shine once more” and “don’t let it shine.” This makes Sammy’s post-credits revelation even more powerful. Despite the fondness with which he remembers his night at the juke joint, he’s rejecting the call of darkness and plans to let his light shine.
Interestingly, the screenplay for Sinners reveals a dramatic editing decision that fundamentally alters the scene’s (and film’s) meaning. In the shooting script, Sammy’s rendition of “This Little Light of Mine” appears near the beginning during a conversation with his father, who disapproves of Sammy altering the song’s melody. By moving this song to the credits (and removing his father’s presence), Coogler completely recontextualizes the film’s ending. Had the scene remained at the beginning as written, the finale may have signaled Sammy’s total rejection of the faith. However, by concluding the film with this performance, Coogler seems to suggest a more nuanced interpretation: Sammy isn’t abandoning his beliefs, but rather shedding his father’s rigid interpretation of them to carry his personal faith forward.
With a fleeting glance, Sammy looks off-camera to the cross, and the film cuts to black. It is finished.
Christian Jessup, A Cloudy Picture
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